Why, asks Dr Macdonald, did the Scots in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries know so little about their past and even less about those who "controlled" their history. The answer has implications as to how Scottish history, and, to an extent, Scottish identity has evolved. This is an extraordinary
Features
Yes!!! A restaurant in St Andrews not dedicated to gouging visiting wealthy American golfers! Even better, the menu looks promising. It is devoid of ‘small plates’ and ‘sharing plates’ nor are we forced on to rip-off tasting menus. And, deep joy, we are spared the clever-dick
This week the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland celebrates ‘Interntional Right to Know Day’. Protecting and strengthening the right to official information in Scotland should be a priority, both as a defensive as well as proactive measure to address fake news and prov
Andy Sirel was named Law Champion of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards in Glasgow earlier this month. The award is given to individuals who make an "exceptional contribution to the legal profession and wider society". For the co-founding partner and legal director of JustRight Scotland, it caps
Julie Scott-Gilroy and Lauren McLaughlin of MFMac – co-sponsors of the Scottish Construction Summit 2026 on 22 October – share what the construction industry should know when progressing works under a construction contract. Notices are an important part of contract administration in cons
AI-powered fraud is exposing Scottish businesses to increasingly sophisticated deepfake scams that can bypass traditional cybersecurity defences, writes James McGachie. A director joins a video call with the chief financial officer and several senior colleagues. An urgent series of transfers is requ
In an extended article for Scottish Legal News, Dean of Faculty Roddy Dunlop KC warns that corroboration has now been effectively abolished in the wake of HM Advocate v PK. For centuries, the requirement of corroboration has been regarded as one of the cardinal principles of the criminal law of Scot
UK companies should urgently check that directors and people with significant control (PSCs) have completed identity verification steps required for each of their roles as the Companies House transition period enters its final months, writes Gary Gray. New identity verification requirements to help
As a small boy I once joined a group of classmates to peer at a grainy black and white photo brought in by one of the boys whose uncle had fought in the Malayan ‘Emergency’. The subject of our ghoulish fascination was an image of smiling Scottish soldiers displaying the severed heads of
The days of offering a quick cosmetic treatment from the spare room, beauty salon or a client’s home could soon be numbered, writes Arlene Dunbar. From September 2027, Scotland’s aesthetics industry will face a significant regulatory shake-up, bringing a range of non-surgical cosmetic pr
As an expert witness, I am often asked what instructing solicitors value most. My answer is clarity, confidence and a well‑reasoned opinion. Those expectations are entirely reasonable. But recent Scottish judgments suggest that an expert’s credibility depends on demonstrating independence th
What’s all this then? A waiter, traditionally clad in black waistcoat and bow tie, elegantly slices away at a side of the finest Scottish smoked salmon on his trolley crafted for the task. The mellifluous notes of grand piano tinkle across the grand dining room. On the walls crimson clad heroe
Can the biography of a woman who did not exist, yet is so well known in Western culture, ever be written? Edith Hall’s latest work on the classical world has taken her an academic career of immersion in the Greek classics, of getting to ‘know’ Medea every time they have met.
In the scheme of things in Britain, a political career has never been regarded as wholly inconsistent with later judicial appointment. Lord Salisbury wrote, and warned, in 1897 that "the judicial salad requires both legal oil and political vinegar: but disastrous effects will follow if due proportio
The United States has confirmed that it has deployed a weapon in space. While details are scarce, what are the legalities around such a move? Dr Alexander Simmonds, an expert in space law at the University of Dundee, takes a look. The positioning of a space weapon in Earth orbit by the United States
